Cylinder locking mechanism

ABSTRACT

A revolver has a frame in which a cylinder is rotatably mounted on a shaft removably attached to the frame. The cylinder has ratchet teeth provided at one end of the cylinder. A pawl mounted within the frame is adapted to engage the ratchet teeth to turn the cylinder from one firing position to another firing position. The pawl is connected to a hammer by means of a pin. A plurality of locking notches are disposed around the periphery of the cylinder such that a notch is provided for each cartridge position. Each notch has a sloping entrance cut for progressive entrance of a cylinder lock. The cylinder lock includes an elongated aperture which is mounted on a trigger pin such that rotation of the hammer from the firing position to the cocked position unlocks and then locks the cylinder. A leaf spring secured to the frame contacts the lock for urging it into engagement with a locking notch.

United States Patent Kennedy et al.

[ Oct. 10, 1972 [54] CYLINDER LOCKING MECHANISM [72] Inventors: Ralph C. Kennedy, Wapping; Ralph R. Torning, Manchester, both of Conn.

[73] Assignee: Colt Industries Operating Corp.,

New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Aug. 20, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 65,637

[52] U.S.Cl. ..42/67 [51] Int.Cl. ..F42c 1/00 [58] Field of Search ..42/67 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,187,454 6/1965 Geber ..42/67 2,733,529 2/1956 Ruger ..42/67 336,894 3/1886 Cilley ..42/67 556,563 3/1896 Smith ..42/67 818,075 4/1906 Bye ..42/67 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Agsi sla rtfixamjnen- C. T. Jordan Attorney-Redford W. Luther [57] ABSTRACT A revolver has a frame in which a cylinder is rotatably mounted on a shaft removably attached to the frame. The cylinder has ratchet teeth provided at one end of the cylinder. A pawl mounted within the frame is adapted to engage the ratchet teeth to turn the cylinder from one firing position to another firing position. The pawl is connected to a hammer by means of a pin. A plurality of locking notches are disposed around the periphery of the cylinder such that a notch is provided for each cartridge position. Each notch has a sloping entrance cut for progressive entrance of a cylinder lock. The cylinder lock includes an elongated aperture which is mounted on a trigger pin such that rotation of the hammer from the firing position to the cocked position unlocks and then locks the cylinder. A leaf spring secured to the frame contacts the lock for urging it into engagement with a locking notch.

5 Claims, 10 Drawing figures INVENTOR RALPH C. KENNEDY RALPH R. TORNING BY w 40W ATTORNEY CYLINDER LOCKING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to firearms and more particularly to a cylinder locking device for a revolver.

A typical prior art revolver is characterized by a cylinder which is adapted to be rotated by a pawl. The pawl is usually operatively connected to a hammer, which in turn is functionally associated with a cylinder lock to lock the cylinder in a plurality of discrete firing positions. Typically, some sort of spring or the equivalent is associated with the hammer and the cylinder lock for positioning the lock in its locked position for firing and releasing the lock for loading and rotation of the cylinder.

Prior art cylinder locks have been characterized by their relatively complex construction. Also, these previous locks have not been noted for their reliability and the components thereof have frequently failed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides an improved cylinder locking mechanism which is extremely reliable and uninvolved in construction. In brief, a cylinder is rotatably mounted on a frame for movement between a plurality of discrete firing positions. The cylinder has a plurality of locking notches provided on its periphery for each firing position. At the base of the cylinder a lock, in-

cluding a locking portion, is mounted upon a pin. The

lock includes an elongated cavity which envelops the pin such that the lock may pivot and translate thereabout. A leaf spring secured to the frame urges the locking portion of the lock towards the cylinder so that the locking portion may engage a locking notch to prevent the cylinder from rotating. The other end of the lock is adjacent a hammer, upon which is fashioned a cam surface for engaging the lock. Rotation of the hammer to a half-cocked position displaces the lock about its pin so that the cylinder is free to rotate. In the full cocked position, the cam surface on the hammer is free from the lock, thereby permitting the locking portion thereof to engage a locking notch on the cylinder. During a rotational falling movement of the hammer from the cocked position toward the firing position, the lock retains the cylinder in a locked configuration, but is downwardly displaced slightly by the cam surface with respect to its pivot pin. In the firing position, the cam surface on the hammer is free of the lock, thereby allowing the spring to upwardly displace the lock, while maintaining the locked relationship between the lock and the cylinder. Thus, as the hammer is being cocked, the cylinder moving means can turn the cylinder to another position. As the hammer moves into its cocked position, the cam surface of the hammer is disengaged from the rear end of the lock, thereby causing the spring to snap the locking portion of the lock into locking position in the next locking notch of the cylinder.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simple, yet reliable, cylinder locking arrangement for a revolver.

Another object is to provide a cylinder lock which essentially incorporates a pivotally-mounted lock, a spring to urge the look into a locked position, and a cam surface on a hammer to displace the lock from its locked position.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view with parts in section of a revolver according to a first embodiment of the invention, with the hammer thereof in firing position and the cylinder lock thereof in locking position. I

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the revolver of FIG. 1 illustrating the half-cocked position of the hammer with the cylinder lock in an unlocked position.

FIG. 3 is another fragmentary elevational view of the revolver of FIG. 1 with the hammer moved rearward to a cocked position, wherein the cylinder lock is in a locked position.

FIG. 4 is yet another fragmentary elevational view of the revolver of FIG. 1 showing the hammer falling from the cocked position to the firing position.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cylinder lock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the hammer of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are side elevation and front elevation views, respectively, of a hammer according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are side elevation and front elevational views, respectively, of a cylinder lock according to the second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a single-action revolver of generally conventional construction. The frame member of the revolver comprises a grip-frame '10 and a cylinder frame 12 interconnected by a screw 14 and other fastening means (not shown). A cylinder 16 is rotatably mounted within the frame 12 on a cylinder pin 18, which is removably positioned in the frame within axially aligned bores respectively located in the front and rear portions of frame 12. A spring catch 20 retains the cylinder pin 18 locked in the frame and is displaceable to permit removal of the pin 18 in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

A plurality of ratchet teeth 22 are centrally disposed on the left or rear end of the cylinder 16. A conventional drive-pawl or hand 24 (shown partially in broken lines in FIG. 1) engages the ratchet teeth to turn the cylinder from one firing position to another firing position. The pawl is spring-urged against the ratchet teeth by means of a leaf spring (not shown). The pawl 24 is connected at its lower end to a hammer 30 by means of a pin 32. A plurality of circumferentially spaced locking notches 34 are disposed on the periphery of the cylinder 16. The notches 34 each have a sloping entrance cut 36 to allow for progressive entrance of a cylinder lock into the notch.

The hammer 30, shown in perspective in FIG. 6, is pivotally connected to the frame 12 by means of a pin 36 inserted through an aperture 38 in the base of the hammer. The hammer is capable of being rotated from the firing position of FIG. 1 to a half-cocked position and a fully-cocked position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,

respectively. The base of the hammer 30 is machined on one side thereof to provide a recess 39 which defines a cam surface 40 which includes a break-away edge 42, the function of the cam surface being described hereinafter. Formed on the base portion of the hammer are three notches 46, 48 and 50 for engaging the sear end 51 of the trigger. The notch 46 functions as a safety notch for holding the hammer off the firing pin. The notch 48 functions as an unlocking notch to hold the cylinder lock (discussed hereinafter) out of contact with the notches 34 on the periphery of the cylinder. The rear notch 50 serves to hold the hammer in firing position. It will be appreciated that the structure of the hammer per se is highly conventional, save for the provision of the cam surface.

In order to bias the hammer 30 toward the firing position thereof, a leaf spring 52 is mounted on the grip frame in the lower portion (not shown) of the grip 54. The upper extremity of the leaf spring contacts a contoured rear surface 55 of the hammer 30 to bias it toward the firing position of FIG. 1.

The firing pin assembly comprises a cylinder 56 which is held in a cylindrical bore of the frame 12 by a cross-pin 58. The cylinder 56 is bored out to receive the firing pin 60 and the rebound spring 62 which normally bears on the collar 64 and holds the firing pin rearward of the cartridge base, but can be moved easily under the impact of the hammer to ignite the cartridge.

The trigger 64 is pivotally mounted on a pivot structure constituted by a trigger pin 66 which is secured to the frame 12 and extends transversely thereof. The trigger 64 is mounted upon the pin 66 in such a manner that the sear 51 thereof is adapted to engage the notches 46, 48, and 50 ofthe hammer 30. The rear face of the trigger 64 is in contact with a spring assembly 70 which spring urges the trigger 64 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about trigger pin 66. In order to release the sear 51 on the trigger from the notch 50, it is, of course, necessary to depress the trigger against the bias of the spring assembly 70, thereby pivoting the trigger 64 in a clockwise manner about trigger pin 66. This clockwise pivoting will eventually disengage the trigger sear 51 from the notch 50, thereby permitting the hammer to move from a cocked position to a firing position. In this regard, it will be noted that the other notches 46 and 48 are provided with lips 72 and 73 which overhang the trigger sear 51 to prevent clockwise pivotal movement of the trigger 64. Thus, when the sear 51 is engaged in notches 46 and 48, it is impossible to fire the revolver.

The cylinder locking mechanism of the first embodiment of the invention comprises a cylinder lock member shown as a cylinder lock 74, which is despicted in perspective in FIG. 5, and a leaf spring 76 secured to the underside of the frame 12 by a fastener 78. The lock 74 includes a surface 80 machined on an upper rearward portion and a projection 82 formed on a forward portion. Centrally disposed in the lock 74, intermediate the surface 80 and the projection 82, is an elongated cavity 84 which extends from one side of the lock to the other. The lock 74 is mounted on the trigger pin 66 adjacent the trigger 64 in a manner which permits the lock to pivot about the trigger pin and slide thereover, the trigger pin being partially contained within the cavity. As can be seen in FIGS. I through 3,

the extremity of the leaf spring 76 contacts the bolt lock on its underside intermediate the projection 82 and the elongated aperture 84 to urge the projection 82 into one of the notches 34.

In order to fully comprehend the operation of the above described revolver, assume that a cartridge 85 has just been fired and the hammer is in the firing position, as shown in FIG. 1. It will be noted that in this position, the trigger 64 is so disposed about its trigger pin 66 that the sear 51 thereof rests on the forward facing surface of the lip 72 by virtue of the urging of the spring assembly 70. Also, in this position, the projection 82 on the bolt lock 74 is in locking contact with one of the notches 34, this contact being maintained by the urging of the leaf spring 76. It will also be noted that when the hammer is in the firing position, illustrated in FIG. 1, the lower wall of the cavity 84 bears against the trigger pin.

To displace the hammer to the safety position (not shown) OR either the half-cocked position or fullycocked position, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, it is necessary to move the hammer rearwardly to cause pivoting thereof about its hammer pin 36. In the safety position (not shown), the trigger sear 51 is inserted in the notch 46 and the lip 72 prevents the trigger 64 from being depressed or rotated in a clockwise fashion about trigger pin 66. In the safety position, the lock 74 and the spring 76 remain in their respective positions shown in FIG. 1 since the lock is not displaced by the cam surface 40 during movement of the hammer 30 from the firing position to the safety position.

During movement of the hammer from the safety position to the position of FIG. 2, lock 74 is pivoted in a clockwise direction about pin 66 by cam surface 40. In FIG. 2, the hammer 30 is in a half-cocked position and the cylinder 16 is freely rotatable. In this position, the trigger sear 51 is retained in notch 48 and cannot be moved out of this position due to the overhanging lip 73 which blocks pivotal movement of the trigger 64. Also, in this position, cam surface 40 retains the lock 74 in the unlocked configuration, wherein the projection 82 lies without the periphery of the cylinder 16. Moreover, it will be observed that the leaf spring 76 exerts a counterclockwise moment on the lock, which is balanced by the clockwise moment exerted thereon by cam surface 40. When the hammer is in the position shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder may be loaded or the expended cartridges therein ejected by means such as a rod (not shown) slideably mounted along one side of the barrel 86 in a guide housing 88, the rod serving to push the cartridge cases out of the cylinder.

During movement of the hammer from the half cocked position of FIG. 2 to the fully-cocked position of FIG. 3, the cam surface 40 and the lower surface 81 move out of contact, thereby permitting the lock 74 to snap back to a position as shown in FIG. 1 in which projection 82 lockingly engages a notch on the periphery of the cylinder. During the rearward movement of the hammer into the fully-cocked position, the drive pawl engages the ratchet in a manner well known to those skilled in the art to rotate the cylinder to another cartridge position. In the fully-cocked position, it will be noted that the trigger sear engages notch 50 and the lock 74 is in a locked position similar to that of FIG. 1, where it engages another locking notch on the periphery of the cylinder. The revolver is accordingly ready to fire a cartridge.

Depression of the trigger 64 engenders a clockwise pivotal movement about the trigger pin 66 which frees the trigger sear 51 from notch 50, thereby causing the hammer to rotate under the bias of the hammer spring 52 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 1. During this movement of the hammer from the fully-cocked position of FIG. 3 to the firing position of FIG. 1, the cam projection, defined by surface 40 and the break-away edge 42, clears the cylinder lock 74 by contacting the surface 80 and depressing the left or rear end of the cylinder lock 74. This displacement of the cylinder lock is illustrated in FIG. 4, where it can be seen that this hammer movement causes the cylinder lock to pivot about its projection 82 such that the cavity 84 slides over the trigger pin 66. This pivoting of the cylinder lock 74 is opposed by the bias of leaf spring 76 and when the break-away edge 42 of the cam projection clears the surface 80, the cylinder lock is snapped back to its FIG. 1 configuration by the leaf spring. It will be appreciated, that during movement of the hammer from the fully-cocked position to the firing position, the projection 82 on the cylinder lock 74 is in constant engagement with a notch on the periphery of the cylinder. Thus, the cylinder lock is pivotal about two locations, viz.: the trigger pin and its projection 82.

Turning now to FIGS. 7-10, an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown which embodies a cam projection and bolt lock differing in form from those of the previously described embodiment. The surface 40a defines a cam projection 90 which is adapted to co-act with surfaces 80a and 81a of cylinder lock 74a, shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, to displace lock 74a in a manner similar to that explained with reference to the previously described embodiment. At the extremity of the cam projection 90 the surface 40a comprises intersecting surfaces 40b and 400. As can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, surface 40c is bounded by edges 42a and 42b.

When hammer 30a is pivoted to the rear in a counterclockwise fashion, edge 42a contacts surface 81a of lock 74a and then slides therealong until surfaces 400 and 81a contact one another. Continued pivoting of the hammer 30a causes sliding contact between surfaces 40c and 81a until edge 42b clears the rear edge of lock 74, the rear edge being the intersection of surfaces 80a and 81a. When the surfaces 400 and 81a initially contact each other in an abutting relationship, lock 74a occupies a position wherein projection 82a lies without a locking notch 34 in cylinder 16', and when edge 42b clears the rear edge of lock 74a, projection 82a snaps back into locking position.

When the hammer 30a pivots from the cocked to the fired position, edge 42b slides along the rear of surface 80a pivoting the lock 740 about the projection 82a while it remains in locking engagement with a locking notch 34 on cylinder 16. Subsequently, edge 42b clears surface 80a and then the rear edge of lock 74a slidingly contacts surface 40c. When surface 400 has cleared the rear edge of lock 74a, the lock snaps back to its original position.

To summarize, with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 710, movement of the hammer 30a to a cocked 6 position causes a clockwise and then a counterclockwise pivoting of lock 74a about pin 66, whereas movement of the hammer from the cocked toward the fired position causes a counterclockwise and then a clockwise pivoting of the lock 74a about projection 82a. It will thus be apprehended that the embodiment of FIGS. 7-10 operates in a manner similar to that of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

It should be apparent that the simplified construction of a cylinder lock according to the invention will contribute to the performance and reliability of a revolver in which it is incorporated. Also, while only two preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, the leaf spring 76 of the cylinder locking mechanism could be replaced by a torsion spring such as that shown in US. Pat. No. 2,733,529. Further, the locks 74 and 74a need not be mounted on the trigger pin 66, but could be mounted on a separate structure. Also, the cam surfaces and the surfaces 80, 80a and 81, 81a could assume varying shapes.

It should also be noted that either cylinder lock could be provided with an integral pin extending transversely thereof and the frame provided with an elongated cavity. This would be equivalent to the illustrated structure.

What we claim is: v

1. In a revolver, the combination comprising:

a frame member,

a cylinder, having a plurality of locking notches on the periphery thereof, mounted for rotation within the frame member;

a hammer movably mounted on the frame member for rearward movement from a firing position to a cocked position, and forward movement from the cocked position to the firing position;

a cylinder lock member, having a projection thereupon to successively engage the locking notches and lock the cylinder in a plurality of discrete positions, mounted on the frame member;

a pivot structure on one of the members adapted to bear against the other of the members during rearward movement of the hammer such that the cylinder lock member may pivot thereabout to disengage the projection from one of the locking notches;

a resilient device connected to the frame member and in contact with the cylinder lock member to urge the projection towards the cylinder so that it may engage one of the locking notches and thereby lock the cylinder; and

cam means to pivot the cylinder lock member about the pivot structure during rearward movement of the hammer for unlocking the cylinder, and to pivot the cylinder lock member about the projection during forward movement of the hammer such that the projection remains engaged with one of the locking notches.

2. The combination, as defined in claim 1, wherein the resilient device comprises:

a leaf spring in contact with the cylinder lock member intermediate the projection and the pivot structure; and

means to secure the spring to the frame member.

3. The combination, as defined in claim 1, wherein the pivot structure comprises:

a secured to the frame member and extending transversely thereof; and wherein there is further provided:

a trigger mounted on the pin such that it is adapted to be engaged with the hammer for retaining the hammer in its cocked position, and to be disengaged from the hammer for releasing it from the cocked position.

4. The combination, as defined in claim 3, wherein the cylinder lock member has a cavity therein at least partially receiving the pin, the pin being adapted to bear against a wall of the cavity during rearward movement of the hammer, and the cavity being sized to pergagement by the cam surface during rearward movement of the hammer; and

a second surface on the cylinder lock member for engagement by the cam surface during forward movement of the hammer. 

1. In a revolver, the combination comprising: a frame member, a cylinder, having a plurality of locking notches on the periphery thereof, mounted for rotation within the frame member; a hammer movably mounted on the frame member for rearward movement from a firing position to a cocked position, and forward movement from the cocked position to the firing position; a cylinder lock member, having a projection thereupon to successively engage the locking notches and lock the cylinder in a plurality of discrete positions, mounted on the frame member; a pivot structure on one of the members adapted to bear against the other of the members during rearward movement of the hammer such that the cylinder lock member may pivot thereabout to disengage the projection from one of the locking notches; a resilient device connected to the frame member and in contact with the cylinder lock member to urge the projection towards the cylinder so that it may engage one of the locking notches and thereby lock the cylinder; and cam means to pivot the cylinder lock member about the pivot structure during rearward movement of the hammer for unlocking the cylinder, and to pivot the cylinder lock member about the projection during forward movement of the hammer such that the projection remains engaged with one of the locking notches.
 2. The combination, as defined in claim 1, wherein the resilient device comprises: a leaf spring in contact with the cylinder lock member intermediate the projection and the pivot structure; and means to secure the spring to the frame member.
 3. The combination, as defined in claim 1, wherein the pivot structure comprises: a secured to the frame member and extending transversely thereof; and wherein there is further provided: a trigger mounted on the pin such that it is adapted to be engaged with the hammer for retaining the hammer in its cocked position, and to be disengaged from the hammer for releasing it from the cocked position.
 4. The combination, as defined in claim 3, wherein the cylinder lock member has a cavity therein at least partially receiving the pin, the pin being adapted to bear against a wall of the cavity during rearward movement of the hammer, and the cavity being sized to permit relative movement thereof with respect to the pin during forward movement of the hammer.
 5. The combination, as defined in claim 1, wherein the cam means comprises: a cam surface upon the hammer; a first surface on the cylinder lock member for engagement by the cam surface during rearward movement of the hammer; and a second surface on the cylinder lock member for engagement by the cam surface during forward movement of the hammer. 